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Client Success Story

How ALD Automotive Streamlined Risk, Controls and Incident Management with Symbiant GRC Software

Discover how ALD Automotive used Symbiant to connect risk, controls and incident management, improving visibility, accountability and oversight across the organisation.
Discover flexible, integrated software solutions designed to help organisations identify risks, strengthen controls, streamline audits, monitor compliance, and improve decision-making. Whether you're focused on risk management, audit assurance, or regulatory compliance, Symbiant provides the tools needed to create a connected, resilient and well-governed organisation.

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Real-World Example: ALD Automotive

Operating within the highly regulated automotive finance sector, ALD Automotive needed a practical Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) solution that could support collaboration across the first and second lines of defence while replacing manual processes and disconnected systems. By implementing Symbiant’s flexible, interconnected GRC platform, the organisation modernised its approach to managing risks, controls, incidents, reviews and action tracking. The result was a more efficient, user-friendly risk management framework that improved reporting, strengthened governance and enabled greater engagement across the business without compromising control or auditability.

The Challenge

Like many organisations adopting the Three Lines of Defense Model, ALD Automotive needed a platform that could empower frontline teams to actively participate in risk management while ensuring second-line teams retained governance, oversight and complete control of risk data. Their existing approach relied on a restrictive legacy platform alongside manual spreadsheets and forms, creating duplication, limiting visibility and making reporting unnecessarily time-consuming.

 

After looking at other software providers in the market we got the opportunity to look at Symbiant, we are pleased we took the first step and booked the demonstration. Andrew was very clear about the product and the modules and how practical the software is and what it could do for us,  and as it is modular it is very good value for money compared with other solutions on the market.

The Solution: Agile, Interconnected GRC

To resolve these bottlenecks, ALD Automotive partnered with Symbiant in 2021 to modernise and streamline its risk management processes across first and second lines of defence (1LOD & 2LOD).
By replacing a restrictive legacy risk platform and spreadsheet-based workflows, ALD Automotive implemented a more connected, user-friendly approach to managing risks, controls, incidents, reviews, and action tracking. The core implementation highlights included:
    • Unified Risk Registers: Moving risk mapping out of flat files and into active, interconnected dashboards to capture changes across the business instantly.
    • The Audit Action Tracker: Establishing secure data workflows where frontline (1LOD) teams can contribute vital progress notes directly without being able to modify foundational action details.
    • Simplified Incident Intake: Implementing a clean, fast-loading incident management repository accessible to first-line colleagues without extensive technical training.

 

”We started using Symbiant in 2021, we used risk, controls, action tracking, reviews, incidents. The action tracking capability was excellent. Our 1LOD teams could add progress updates but not amend any action details. Our 2LOD teams could filter on & download the reports they needed. The incident management module made it very easy for 1LOD to report an incident. The format was very user friendly. We also had fields only visible for the 2LOD teams.”

The Results & Business Impact

  1. Full 1LOD Engagement Without Compromise
    The platform’s highly intuitive UI allowed the risk team to successfully scale the system out to frontline operations. Colleagues across the organization became actively engaged in day-to-day risk process management without sacrificing data control or auditability.
  2. Tailored, Agile Reporting
    The duplicate manual workflows and spreadsheet forms were completely eliminated, drastically reducing reporting turnaround times. Second-line (2LOD) risk managers can now instantly filter, tailor, and download targeted reports to match strict internal design needs.
  3. Granular Role-Based Security
    Through close collaboration with Symbiant’s support team, ALD Automotive adapted restricted hidden fields. This allows sensitive risk metrics to remain visible only to the 2LOD teams, ensuring secure, multi-tier data integrity across departments.

 

”[Symbiant GRC, Risk Management and Audit Software] streamlined the process, reduced the number of tools in use and manual excel/word forms and duplication. Reporting is quick and easy – reports can be tailored to meet your design needs.”

The Critical Role of Ease-of-Use in GRC Implementation

The user-friendly design of a GRC platform is the single most critical factor determining the success of its implementation and long-term user adoption. When enterprise software is overly complex or counter-intuitive, frontline teams inevitably bypass the system, reverting to manual spreadsheets that fragment data and create security blind spots. By contrast, an intuitive and accessible user interface eliminates the steep learning curves and heavy training burdens that typically derail new software rollouts.
 
It empowers first-line (1LOD) employees to log incidents, complete risk reviews, and update audit actions naturally as part of their daily routines, transforming compliance from a forced administrative chore into an embedded organizational habit. Ultimately, ensuring the system is genuinely easy to use bridges the gap between technical deployment and cultural adoption, allowing risk managers to achieve 100% operational engagement without compromising on data control, security, or audit integrity.

 

” The Symbiant system is very well designed and user friendly. We were able to roll the system out to 1LOD and engage our colleagues in the risk process without compromising on the control or auditability of risk data. The Symbiant team were very helpful & collaborative when adapting the system to meet our specific needs.”

How ALD Automotive Streamlines Risk Management and Reporting with Symbiant

By replacing a complex, costly system and manual spreadsheets with Symbiant, ALD Automotive created a single, easy-to-use platform that connects risks, controls, incidents, and action tracking—delivering streamlined processes and clearer, audit-ready reporting.

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Pricing Disclaimer

* Modules are charged at a standard monthly fee, not on a per-user basis. All users can access each module at any required level. Please note that costs exclude VAT, AI features, and additional modules you may wish to use. User seats are required.